The story begins with a visit to 221B Baker Street from Steve Dixie, a black man and a cowardly ruffian who warns Sherlock Holmes to keep away from Harrow. Watson has no idea what this dimwitted fellow is talking about, but Holmes knows who he is and what the intrusion is all about, and manages to elicit some interesting information from him, knowing that Dixie is easily imposed upon. Ironically, although Dixie has come to intimidate Holmes, Holmes cleverly secures Dixie’s future cooperation by threatening to tell what he knows about the suspicious Perkins death involving Dixie. Dixie’s boss is Barney Stockdale, and he must somehow be connected with the Harrow Weald case, of which Holmes has just learnt from a message from Mary Maberley, a lady who lives at Three Gables, a house at Harrow Weald…